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How is Alhambra saving water?

The State mandated in June that all municipalities cut back on water consumption. Alhambra, in particular, was told to lower its water usage by 24 percent. According to city staff, Alhambra had been meeting those goals in recent months; its water usage was lowered by 24 percent when compared to figures from two years ago. Recent reports also show that California has been cutting its water consumption by about 25 percent in the past consecutive months, though several cities have been hit with hefty fines for not meeting benchmarks. Beverly Hills, Indio, Redlands and the Coachella Valley Water District were each slapped with $61,000 fines.

In August we conducted a poll that asked readers about the ways they conserve water. Readers were given a list of water-saving actions, and were asked to select the ones they participated in. They were allowed to select more than one answer.

So what have residents been doing to contribute? Readers said they have been taking shorter showers and watering their lawns less. They also said they've cut back on washing their cars. A small minority of voters said they haven't changed their watering habits at all.

Here are the results below. The percentage represents the share of votes an answer received when compared to the total tally of votes. The figures are rounded to whole numbers.

Cutting down on watering my lawn 21%

Taking shorter showers 21%

Washing my car less frequently 17 %

Introducing drought-resistant plantlife to my lawn 11%

Reducing my use of water-intensive appliances 9%

Replacing my toilet with a low-flow one 8%

I have not changed my water-using habits 2%

Other 11%

California is expected to get some much-needed water in the upcoming months, as El Nino is slated to bring a stormy winter season. People are debating whether or not the storms will produce enough water to pull California out of its current drought. Environmentalists say that, regardless of the rain, residents should continue their water-saving efforts.

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